FUNDAMENTALS OF

DRILLING
OPERATIONS
PERSONNEL
OVERVIEW
OPERATOR
• Usually an oil company
• Owns the wells/rights to wells
• 2 main types –
• Independent –
• only produces and sells oil and gas
• Might have 2 to hundreds of employees
• Major –
• Produces oil and gas
• Transports to refinery or plant
• Refines oil and gas
• Sells products to consumers
• Pays royalty, which is a share of the money made from the sale
of oil/gas, to the government
OPERATOR
• Drilling Engineer –
• design and plan well; guide the drilling tools to zone of interest.
• Must understand and synthesise principles of geology, physics, maths,
chemistry and engineering science
• Design and implement the procedure to drill as economically and
safely as possible
• Drilling Superintendent –
• Works with Drilling Engineer as plans develop
• Sources equipment and companies as needed, and is the direct link to
organise all companies/contractors
• Usually experienced person(s)
• Company Representative
• Wellsite Geologist
CONTRACTOR
• Drilling Company – companies that own rig(s) and
equipment and perform the actual drilling work
• Contracts with operators to provide rig an
personnel
• Both land and offshore
• Drills holes to depths and specification outlined by
Operators who own the wells
• Several contractors tender for contracts and
sometimes good work record overrides a low bid
CONTRACTOR
• OIM
• Toolpusher
• Driller & Assistant Driller
• Derrickman
• Floorman (Roughneck)
• Roustabout
• Electrician
• Mechanic
• Motorman
• Crane Operator
• HSE

*See IADC Rig Personnel KSA

SERVICE COMPANIES (3RD
PARTY)
• Usually provides tools, equipment, supplies and
services that neither Operator and Contractor has
available but are needed to drill the well
• Expendable and non-expendable equipment –
• Expendable – items that are used up or worn out as well
is drilled. E.g. drill bits, fuel, lubes, mud
• Non-expendable – items that usually last a long time but
may be eventually replaced. E.g. drillpipe & tubulars,
wellheads.
SERVICE COMPANIES (3RD
PARTY)
• Drilling fluids (mud)
• Directional drilling (DD)
• Mud-logging (ML)
• Cementing (Cmt)
• Wireline logging (WL)
• Measurement While Drilling (MWD)
• Casing (Csg)
• Fishing
• Completion
• Testing
• Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV)
• Other specialty services – bits, reamers, wear bushing, master bushing, etc.
 Management
Operator Drilling Contractor
Base Team
Drilling Superintendent Rig Superintendent

Drilling Supervisor Field Team

Toolpusher
Before continuing it is extremely
Service Companies Tourpusher
important that the people going out to
the rig understand the infrastructure and Driller
Mud Engineer
the chain of responsibility within the Mechanic
Directional Crew
working boundaries of the rig. Electrician
Mud Loggers
Assistant-Driller
Cement Company It is often this misunderstanding that Derrickman
Logging Company brings about many of the problems faced Crane Operator
Wireline Company on the rig. Floormen
Fishing Company
It must be understood the company rep Roustabouts
Completion Company
and the toolpusher work for separate Medic
Testing Company
companies. Radio Operator
Welder
It must also be understood that the final
Drivers
cost, be it direct or indirect will be born
Truck Drivers
by the operator
Catering